Criminalising marital rape complicated: govt

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday told the Delhi high court that if marital rape is brought under law, “the entire family system will be under great stress” and defended the penal code provision that protects husbands from being tried for the rape of their wives.

Quoting from justice JS Verma committee report, the Centre pointed out “even when marital rape is recognised as a crime, there is a risk judges might regard marital rape as less serious than other forms of rape”. The panel had examined criminal law in the aftermath of the December 16 gang rape and recommended several changes in existing laws.

The government sought to emphasise that a change in society’s attitude was needed. “It is also important that legal prohibition on marital rape must also be accompanied by changes in the attitude of the prosecutors, police officers and those in society generally”. The HC is hearing a petition filed by an NGO seeking changes in the ‘Exception 2 to Section 375’ of IPC that does not consider sexual intercourse by a man with his wife, who is above 15 years of age, as rape.

Activists are critical of the government’s stand and Union minister Maneka Gandhi had faced flak for saying that “marital rape cannot be suitably applied in the Indian context due to factors like level of education/illiteracy, poverty, myriad social customs and values, religious beliefs, mindset of the society to treat the marriage as a sacrament, etc.”

(Recognising) marital rape must also be accompanied by changes in the attitude of prosecutors, police officers and those in society generally GOVT TO DELHI HC